Shaft tug or carrier



No. s2o,2|a. Patented Feb. 28, I899} H. A. BIERLEY. v

SHAFT TUG UR CARRIER.

(Application filed Dec. 8, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. BIERLEY, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

SHAFT TUG OR CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,218, dated February 28, 1899.

Application filed December 8, 1898. S rial N (N0 11105813 To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. BIERLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Carriers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention comprisesa specific construction of metallic carrier or tug to which a vehicle shaft or thill can be readily and securely fastened, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the aforesaid tug. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a modified form of the same. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation showing a pair of straps attached to the device.

The principal member of my device is a tug-plate A, so bent out and up at its lower end as to afford a hook B, into which a shaft or thill can be readily seated without manipulating any special device. Projecting laterally from this hooked end of the tug-plate and near its rear side are loops 0 O, the lower bars of which are preferably united together by a central bar 0. Suspended from this central bar 0 is a buckle D or equivalent device for the ready attachment of a strap. Projecting longitudinally from the upper end of tug-plate A and preferably integral therewith is a frame E, which, in connection with a tongue 6, serves as a buckle for the attachment of a strap.

G, in Fig. 3, is a strap whose upper portion branches at G G, and the ends of these branches arefastened to the loops O (J, as shown at g g.

H is a back-strap fastened to the tug-plate A by the buckle E e.

As soon as the ends of the straps G G are secured to the side loops C C the device is at once ready for attachment to a harness, which attachment is conveniently eifected by simply buckling it to a suitable back-strap H and allowing the free end of strap G to hang down loose. In hitching up this end of the strap is raised, so as to allow a shaft or thill to be lowered directly into the hook B, after which act said strap G is drawn down and engaged with the buckle D. Consequently the thill (indicated by the dotted lines T in Fig. 3) is now held within the hook by the branches G G of strap G, which latter can be coupled to a belly-band in any desired way.

The above is a description of the most complete form of my shaft-carrier; but in a more simple construction of the device a transverse slot may be made in the plate A, as shown at Ct in Fig. 2, and a strap (indicated by the dotted lines g) may be passed through said slot. The fixed end of this strap must be branched at its inner end the same as the straps G G G", so as to be fastened to the laterally-projecting loops O C, while its free end is to be drawn down in front of the hook B and then engaged with the buckle D.

Again, Fig; 2 shows that the buckle-frame E may have a cross-bar I, armed with a lug t' to engage the back-strap H, thereby dispensing with the swinging tongue 6.

Finally, the carrier may be made of any suitable metal and can be japanned or plated to suit the demands of the harness-trade.

I claim as my invention The within-described specific construction of shaft-carrier, which device includes the tug-plate A, having at top a frame E, provided with means for attaching a strap, and having at bottom a hook 13, and under said hook a cross-bar c, and laterally-projecting loops 0, O, a buckle D being freely suspended from said bar 0, and the branches G G, of a strap G, being fastened to said loops 0 0, all combined as herein described, and adapted to be operated as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. BIERLEY. Witnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, JOHN C. Boenns. 

